A U.S. Army study released Thursday says it suffered a record number of soldier suicides last year, pointing to a military that has been stretched thin by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

James Gallagher

While every branch of the military must cope with suicides, the Marines have been hit the hardest.The report says 160 soldiers took their own lives in 2009; another 1,800 tried to commit suicide. The report says multiple deployments and too little time at home are part of the underlying problem.

Mary and James Gallagher had been married for less than a year when he told her one night at the dinner table in November 1987 that he wanted to fulfill his lifelong dream.

"He actually had come home one day and said to me, 'You know, Mary, I really, really want this. I really want to, you know, join the Marine Corps.' And I said, 'OK, Jim, if this is what you'd like.

"And he said, 'Oh, great — the recruiter will be here tomorrow for you to sign the papers.' So he already had signed up."

James Gallagher loved being a Marine. He was an infantryman who rose to the rank of gunnery sergeant. In 2005, he was deployed to Iraq and assigned to Ramadi, where it was a violent and deadly summer. Twelve men in Gallagher's unit were killed, including his commanding officer.

Mary Gallagher said when her husband returned stateside, he kept the worst of it to himself: "Most Marines were not ones to really talk at all. Jim always said he'd placed it in his heart, and he said, 'I'll carry it forward because that's what I have to do and that's how I'll get through it.'

"I'm sure he saw a lot of ugly things. I just don't know all the ugly he did see."

After he returned home, Sgt. Gallagher was soon sent to the Marines advanced course. Mary Gallagher said her husband seemed mostly fine.

"I didn't really see it coming at all. I think that people are a little misled at the fact that PTS is very visible, but it's not as visible as people think," she said.

PTS refers to post-traumatic stress.

It is only in retrospect that Mary Gallagher can see what she missed at the time.

"To me, he just seemed sad. You know, he was not quite himself, but, you know, I just had no idea that he was really struggling as bad as he was," she said. "And obviously he was struggling a lot.

"And that's the hardest part for me. You know, it's something I carry with me every day, that I didn't notice that I didn't realize how much he was hurting."

Eight months after Sgt. Gallagher returned home, his unit was getting ready to deploy again. That seemed to throw him. Mary Gallagher said her husband seemed distracted, a little out of it. The 19-year Marine veteran would sometimes quietly confide to her that he wasn't sure he was up for it.

When Mary Gallagher took the children to Disney World with family friends, her husband decided to stay behind. The day before they were to go home, Mary talked to her husband on the phone. He was stressed; she reassured him.

"Our last phone call of that day, he just repeatedly told me how much he loved me and, you know, if I truly knew how much he loved me, and I said, 'I do, Jim, and we can get through this together.'

"And my children and I came home, and my daughters actually found their father before I could protect them from that — and he was hanging in the garage in our home."

Gallagher and her three teenage children were blindsided, and they grieved intensely.

"It was crippling," she said. "It truly crippled us."

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that James Gallagher is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

It's really not okay that these men are killed in foreign countries to serve the interests of our governments.

It's really not okay that some of these men commit suicide when they come back home. They look for justice and rationale and don't find it. God help them and us.

Jarod Newlove is a 2003 graduate of Seattle's Chief Sealth High School. He spent five years on active duty in the Navy and was ranked as a culinary specialist, according to a Navy biography. He then joined the Navy Reserve, but quickly returned to active service. By December 2009, he had reported for duty at what the Navy listed as a Kabul-based "mobilization and accounting operations."

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Jarod Newlove is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

July 29, 2010

Army Staff Sergeant Conrad Mora, age 24, of San Diego was killed in July, 2010, in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb.

Conrad Mora was leading a group of solders when the attack on their vehicle occurred. He was a graduate of Morse High School, where he played football.

He is survived by his wife, Ann, and their one-year-old son, Christopher. The family had recently moved to Washington state before his deployment. Conrad Mora’s parents, Alejandrino and Carmelita Mora, live in National City. He is also survived by his sister, Carmela.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Conrad Mora is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

A soldier from El Paso has died from injuries suffered when he was swept away by the current when a levee broke near his military vehicle in Paktika, Afghanistan.The death in July, 2010, of Army Pfc. James J. O'Quin, age 20, was not combat related. James was an infantryman assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He entered the Army in October 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2009.
His awards and decorations included the Army Good Conduct Medal; NATO Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification: M4 (expert).
Survivors include his wife, Patricia of Fabens; mother, Michaela of El Paso; and father, James of El Paso.Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that James O'Quin is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

July 26, 2010

Corporal Matthew Stenton, age 23, died in July, 2010 in Afghanistan. He ignored a hail of insurgents' bullets to help drag a stricken serviceman to safety. But he was tragically cut down in the firefight while the injured man was evacuated from the battlefield.

Cpl Stenton's family said they were 'so proud' of the soldier, adding: 'Matthew died how he lived his life, surrounded by his friends. It comes as no surprise to us to hear that he died whilst trying to help one of his fellow comrades.'

Cpl Stenton, from the Royal Dragoon Guards, who served with the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, was providing security for engineers building a road near Basharan, in central Helmand.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Matthew Stenton is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

1st Lieutenant Michael L. Runyan, of Newark, aged 24, died of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, a city in Iraq’s Diyala province.

The soldier was treated on the scene of the attack by unit personnel and was subsequently evacuated to the Combat Support Hospital located at Joint Base Balad, where he passed away.

Lieutenant Neal Turkington, age 26, an officer serving with 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, was one of three soldiers shot by a renegade Afghan soldier and killed in July 2010.

It is understood he died alongside a Nepalese Gurkha when the soldier fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the command centre at Patrol Base 3, in what the Ministry of Defence called a "suspected premeditated attack".

In a statement last week the family of Lieutenant Turkington paid tribute to the "courageous" victim, saying: "We are all so proud of him.

"We couldn't have asked for a finer son, brother and friend."

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Neal Turkington is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

Canadian Sapper Brian Collier, age 24, was killed in an IED attack near Kandahar, Afghanistan in July, 2010.

He had recently been wounded in a mine blast. He was a combat engineer from Bradford, Ontario.

"Sapper Brian Collier was a remarkable Canadian and a dedicated soldier," defence minister Peter MacKay said in a statement. "He made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and has earned the recognition and the respect of us all."

Collier had recently been wounded in another IED attack, but "fought hard to overcome his injury in order to get back to doing his job with his comrades", Brig Gen Jonathan Vance, commander of Task Force Kandahar told reporters.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Brian Collier is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

British soldier, Brett George Linley, was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan In July, 2010.

The 29-year-old, from Birmingham, England, served with the Royal Logistic Corps.

He died in a blast in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province and is survived by his partner and parents.

Lt Col David Southall of the Royal Engineers told the MoD website: "Staff Sergeant Brett Linley was a man of courage and composure."

I remember his calm, considered manner and, as one of life's grafters, his professionalism was meticulous; 'If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right' he'd tell his boys, both in training and on task."

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Brett Linley is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

British Senior Aircraftman Kinikki Griffiths, who was based at RAF Honington in Suffolk, was carrying out his duties as his flight commander's signaller and driver when he was killed in July 2010, in Afghanistan.

Wing Commander Paul Weaver Smith, Commanding Officer Bastion Force Protection Wing said: "Kinikki was the consummate professional gunner and, even at this early stage, had much promise; he will be sorely missed by all who knew him in the RAF Regiment. Kinikki was serving his country by protecting a key UK operating base and he died whilst ensuring the security of others and enabling airpower."

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Kinikki Griffiths is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

British Sergeant David Monkhouse, a 35-year-old member of the Royal Dragoon Guards, died in a blast in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand, Afghanistan in July, 2010.

Sgt Monkhouse, from Aspatria, Cumbria, was described as a devoted father to his daughter. The Regimental Medical Sergeant had previously served four tours in Northern Ireland and one in Iraq. His family said: "For David, the Army was his life, second only to his daughter. His devotions were equally divided between his beloved daughter and his beloved Regiment, the Royal Dragoon Guards."

Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, commanding officer of The Royal Dragoon Guards, described Sgt Monkhouse as a "great man".

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that David Monkhouse is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

British Marine Jonathan Crookes, age 26, a reservist in 40 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in an explosion while on foot patrol in Sangin, Afghanistan, in July 2010.

Comrades described Marine Crookes, from Halesowen, West Midlands as a "gentle giant". His mother Sue and fiancee Danielle Davis spoke of their pride in the marine, who volunteered to serve in Afghanistan three times.

Outside the Royal Marines, he was studying for a degree in International Relations and worked as a tree surgeon and labourer. Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Paul James, said: "He was a bright, strong, fearless man with a selfless, determined, but well-humoured and affable manner; everyone admired Jonny Crookes."

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Jonathan Crookes is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

British Lance Corporal David Ramsden, age 26, from Leeds, England, was killed in June, 2010, when the vehicle in which he was travelling overturned into the Nahr-e-Bughra Canal, Afghanistan.
His friends called him Lizard due to him keeping two iguanas which he re-homed before he left for Afghanistan. He was a normal young lad who would always cheer you up and often did things for a laugh.
He is survived by his mother and father and brothers and sisters.
Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that David Ramsden is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

My son's name is Dustin, in Costa Mesa, CA. My Son has autism and just turned 25 on July 2. My name is Monica, I rent a room with this very nice family. I need prayers so that, at the Hearing, the Honorable Judge, says yes, my son Dustin can come live with me and my other son Israel in an apartment in San Diego. Please pray for me.

I thank you with all my heart and may God bless us all - Monica (California)

July 19, 2010

Lance Corporal Daniel G. Raney, was a Marine from Pleasant View, Tennessee. Known as “Gabe,” the 21-year old was a 2007 graduate of Sycamore High School. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Corps Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Daniel died on July 9, 2010, in combat in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Daniel Raney is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

Army Spc. Christopher J. Moon, age 20, of Tucson, Arizona, died July 13, 2010, of his wounds at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. He was on patrol July 6 in Afghanistan's Arghandab River Valley when he was injured by an improvised explosive device.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Christopher Moon is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

Zachary M. Fisher, age 24, of Ballwin, Mo. died in Afghanistan in July 2010.
Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Zachary Fisher is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

Army Spc. Chase Stanley was killed on in July, 2010, when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle in Zabul Province, Afghanistan.

Lance Bubak, who was a year behind Chase Stanley at Capell Valley Elementary School, said his friend could be a joker. He recalled a camping trip when Stanley gave everyone nicknames that stuck for the rest of the weekend.

Mandy Epperson, another friend, said he could brighten up any party.

Chase Stanley was based out of Fort Bragg, N.C. He had previously served in Iraq.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Chase Stanley is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

32 soldiers killed themselves in June, 2010, the highest number in a single month since the Vietnam era. Twenty-one of them were on active duty, while 11 were in the National Guard or Army Reserve in an inactive status.

Seven of those soldiers killed themselves while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Army numbers.

I don't know their individual names or I would publish them here so that they would be remembered forever....who else is going to remember them?

Pfc. Nathaniel D. Garvin, age 20, a helicopter mechanic assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, died in July, 2010, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Nathaniel D. Garvin is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

July 13, 2010

Jessie Ainsworth, a 24-year-old staff sergeant and father of two, was killed July 10, 2010, when insurgents attacked his unit in Walaskan, Afghanistan.

Jessie's injuries were caused by an improvised explosive device.

A team leader with the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, Jessie Ainsworth already had served two combat tours in Iraq between 2006 and 2008, before he deployed to Afghanistan.
Jessie Ainsworth and his wife, Sarah, had a 6-month-old daughter, Lanna Rose, who was born shortly before he went to Afghanistan. They live in Fort Drum, N.Y. He had another daughter, Lexie, 3, who was born while he was in Iraq and lives with her mother in Texas.

Let us pray to God the Father, Jesus, all of the saints and all of the angels that Jessie Ainsworth is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen

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Grief

Time does not bring relief;
you all have lied
who told me time would ease me of my pain.
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide.

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

Grief...Again

It's so curious: one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses.

Sidonie-Gabrielle Collette (1873-1954)

The Last Judgment

"Do not wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day."

Albert Camus (1913-1960)

Memories....

War turns young men into memories.

Past War

U.S. Civil war - 1863 - dead teenager

"It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it."

General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Future War

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

The face of grief in War...Today

This is a man who has just found out that his family was blown away in the War in Afghanistan. God help him and us all. God save us from our wars. Amen.

Impermanence

"Anyone who has lost something they thought was theirs forever finally comes to realise that nothing really belongs to them."

Saint Michael

Saint Gabriel

Archangel Raphael

The forgotten angel... the Archangel of healing. Pray for us, Raphael. Help us all.

Saint Jude

The saint of difficult causes - pray for us.

Father Vincent Capodanno

Vincent Capodanno, was a Priest in the Vietnam War who went among the wounded and dying, giving last rites. Wounded in the face and hand, he went to help a wounded corpsman only yards from an enemy machine gun and was killed. On your way to Sainthood, Vincent, pray for us.

Father Emil Kapaun

A Catholic priest who is remembered for his great humility, bravery, his constancy, his love and kindness and solicitude for his fellow prisoners in the Korean War. He died of starvation. On your way to sainthood, Emil, pray for us.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe

The saint who volunteered to take the place of another in Auschwitz which ended in his death. Pray for us Maximilian.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

The woman who dedicated her life to the dying and the destitute in India. Pray for us Teresa.

Saint Elizabeth Fyodorovna

She was a Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia who renounced her wealth, became a nun and helped the poor. She was buried alive during the Russian Revolution as a punishment for being related to the royal family. She is a Saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. Elizabeth Fyodorovna pray for us.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis, who dedicated his life to God, pray for us.

Saint Benedict

Saint Benedict, who dedicated his life to God, pray for us.

Saint Dominic

Saint Dominic, who dedicated his life to God, pray for us.

Saint Edith Stein

Saint Edith Stein spoke up against the Nazis and died in Auschwitz. Pray for us, Edith.

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes

She said "I am ground like a grain of wheat." So are we all in the end. Pray for us, Sister.

Father Jerzy Popieluszko

Jerzy Popieluszko was a Catholic Priest who was tortured to death in 1984 for speaking out against the Communist regime in Poland. He has been recognized as a Martyr. On your way to Sainthood, Jerzy, pray for us.